Simulated padlock toy carry case



March 3, 1970 D. w. BALTER SIMULATED PADLOGK 'I'OY GARRY CASE.

Filed Jan. 15, 1968 INVENTOR DAVID W. BALTER ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,497,992 SIMULATED PADLOCK TOY CARRY CASE David W. Balter, New York, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Uneeda Doll Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.,

a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 697,807

. Int. Cl. A63h 33/00 U.S. Cl. 4611 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy carry case made of transparent plastic material and formed as a padlock comprising a locking mechanism featuring simplicity of design and operation. The padlock may be utilized for storage therein of small, fanciful toy objects and it may be locked and unlocked by a key.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to toys, and more particularly to the imaginative concept and structural configuration of a relatively small, hand-held childs plaything.

The creation of a new toy involves several necessary but somewhat diverse accomplishments. A primary factor determining the value and contribution of an inventive new toy relates to whether there has been created an item which will meet with commercial acceptance and success. One important aspect of such success depends upon the aesthetic quality of the toy. This quality must be such that the toy is found desirable and attractive to a prospective purchaser and user thereof, primarily and almost exclusively a child. This attractiveness is created when the apparance and general effect produced by the toy is cleverly and imaginatively conceived and originated, entailing a certain indefinable quality that stimulates the attention and interest of a child. This quality is necessarly of a fanciful and intangible nature, but requires both a commercial as well as an aesthetic achievement.

A further aspect of this area of endeavor, which increases the degree of skill and inventiveness which must be imparted in the creation of a new toy, is the fact that the mechanical or functional means by which the toy is fabricated and used must not only enhance and effectuate the aesthetic objectives of the toy, but they must also provide a structure which is simple, economical and inexpensive to manufacture. Again, the commercial success of the toy will be dependent upon the sale price thereof, and it will be found that certain toy items must of commercial necessity be maintained within rather rigid price levels. Accordingly, the embodiment of the toy must be of such a structural nature that it not only provides an effective physical expression of the aesthetic ualities of the toy, but it must also do so in a manner which features simplicity and ease of construction and assembly and economy of manufacturing cost.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toy which is aesthetically and fancifully attractive and which involves a structure simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble enhancing the aesthetic and fanciful essence of the toy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the invention comprise-s a toy carry case formed as a transparent simulated padlock with a body portion having two sections. Hinge means pivotally connect said two sections and an internal locking mechanism featuring simplicity of design and operation permits opening and closing of the carry case by pivoting of said two sections apart and together, with a key which engages said locking mechanism being provided to lock and unlock said carry case.

3,497,992 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein;

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective partially broken away showing the simulated padlock of the present invention in the closed position; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the device showing a locking mechanism with a key, shown in dotted form, inserted therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 there is shown a toy padlock having a body portion comprising two sections, a front section 10 and a rear section 12, both made of transparent plastic material. Sections 10 and 12 are joined together at the upper portions thereof by a hinge 14, and have congruent edge portions which overlie each other, as indicated by line 16, when the padlock is closed.

A U-shaped simulated latch member 18 is aflixed to the upper surface 20 of rear section 12. The latch member 18 has no functional purpose, except to be used as a handle for the carry case, and has both ends 22. and 24 firmly aflixed in rear section 12 thereby to simulate in appearance a real padlock.

The rear section 12 comprises a flat rear surface 26 with upper surface 20 integral therewith, and with an integral U-shaped surface 28 extending from the side and bottom portions thereof.

The front section 10 is somewhat simularly formed and comprises a front surface 30 having an upper surface 32 and a U-shaped side and bottom surface 34 extending perpendicularly therefrom. Additionally, the front surface 30 extends to the edge of an upstanding cylindrical surface 36 having a flat circular surface 38 integral therewith. The padlock is formed with a flat bottom portion 40 which extends across the bottom of both the front section 10 and the rear section 12.

The hinge 14 comprises a rectangular section 42 with extension members 44 formed integrally therewith. The rectangular section 42 is affixed to top surface 32 of front section 10 by a pair of rivets 46. Extension members 44 straddle a pair of upstanding posts 48, which are fixedly mounted upon upper surface 20 of rear section 12, and are pivotally connected thereto by any appropriate means.

The padlock may be opened and access gained to the interior thereof by swinging front section 10 forwardly and upwardly as indicated by arrow 50, thereby pivoting extension members 44 about their point of connection with posts 48.

The padlock may be locked in the closed position by a locking mechanism which will be described hereinafter.

The circular surface 38 has a keyhole 52 extending therethrough. A clip 54 having a flat portion 56 and a perpendicularly upstanding lip 58 is fixedly attached to the flat bottom portion 40 of front section 10 by a rivet 60 which extends through bottom portion 40 and flat portion 56.

A rotatable latching member 62 comprising a cylindrical body 64 and a depending U-shaped member 66 is rotatably attached to rear surface 26 of rear section 12. A circular opening 68 formed in rear surface 26 has a cylindrical member 70, which interconnects an enlarged head member 72 with cylindrical body 64, extending therethrough. Cylindrical member 70 is smaller in diameter than circular opening 68, thereby allowing cylindrical member 70 to be freely rotatably held therein. Accordingly, latching member 62 may be freely rotated 3 about the central axis of cylindrical body 64 as indicated by arrows 74.

A key 76 is mounted upon the padlock by a flexible string 78 which is attached to rear section 12 at side surface 28 by a rivet 80. The key 76 may be made of a plastic material or any ordinary metal key of the same general configuration may be utilized.

The drawing shows the padlock in the locked position. The depending U-shaped member 66 in the position shown blocks movement of front section 10 by engaging upstanding lip 58. When it is desired to open the padlock, the key 76 is inserted through keyhole 52 into latching member 62 which is formed internally in a manner appropriate to receive key 76. The key 76 has a round body portion 82 which fits into cylindrical opening 84 of latching member 62, and a flat portion 86 which fits between the inner walls 88 of depending U-shaped member 66. The key 76, in dotted form, is shown in the inserted position in FIG. 2.

Rotation of key 76 when in the inserted position will cause fiat portion 86 to engage inner walls 88 thereby rotating latching member 62 to swing the depending U- shaped member 66 out of the path of lip 58. With lip 58 free to move forwardly, front section 10 may be swung open about hinge member 14 thereby permitting access to the interior of the padlock.

The interior of the padlock may have a variety of fanciful, simulated objects mounted therein upon a flat insert 90, made a cardboard or other suitable material, frictionally held within rear section 12. A small doll 92 and a simulated phonograph 94 shown in dotted form, as well as several other fanciful toy objects or accessories may be removably fastened to fiat insert 90, thereby permitting utilization of the padlock as a carry case for toys with the simulated latch member 18 serving as a handle. Of course, any appropriate means may be utilized for mounting toys within the padlock, and the cardboard insert 90 is intended primarily for display purposes to allow the toys mounted thereon to be most advantageously visible. However, insert 90 may be removed and the toys merely loosely stored within the padlock.

It will be apparent that the padlock carry case of the present invention provides a fanciful, imaginative toy item which may be simply and inexpensively produced. The padlock comprises a locking mechanism featuring great simplicity of design and significant ease of operation well suited to utilization in a childs toy. All of these features, as well as others made apparent from the foregoing description, combine to provide a toy item which will be attractive, appealing and interesting to a child while permitting manufacture thereof at a cost which enables the item to be most advantageously sale priced.

What I claim is:

1. A toy carry case simulating a padlock utilizing transparent plastic material comprising a transparent padlock ber fixedly attached to one of said body sections and a second member rotatably attached to the other of said body sections, said second member being rotatable to a position to engage said first member thereby to prevent pivoting apart of said body sections about said hinge, and a key insertable interiorly of said padlock adapted to engage said second member to rotate it out of engagement with said first member thereby enabling opening of said padlock carry case.

2.. A toy carry case according to claim 1 comprising a U-shaped member fixedly attached to one section of said body portion simulating the latching member of a padlock utilizable as a handle for said carry case.

3. A toy carry case according to claim 1 wherein said first member of said locking mechanism comprises a clip riveted to said front section and including a perpendicularly upstanding lip formed upon a portion thereof, the portion of said clip containing said lip extending into said rear section, said second rotatable member of said locking mechanism being mounted upon said rear section with said lip positioned behind the engaging portion of said second member.

4. A toy cary case according to claim 3 wherein said second member of said locking mechanism comprises a cylindrical portion rotatably attached to a wall of said rear section of said body portion, with a U-shaped portion extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical portion, said lip extending to between said U-shaped portion and said wall when said carry case is in the locked condition.

5. A toy carry case according to claim 4 comprising a key movably attached to said body portion, a keyhole defined by said front section of said body portion, said key being insertable through said keyhole to engage said rotatable second member of said locking mechanism to rotate said cylindrical portion thereof, thereby to move said U-sha-ped portion out of engagement with said lip.

6. A toy carry case according to claim 1 comprising small fanciful toy objects mounted therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,078,767 4/1937 Marx 46-2 2,570,341 10/1951 Hake.

3,235,263 2/1966 Smith 461l 3,298,601 1/1967 Brown 46-2 RUSSELL R. KINSEY, Primary Examiner I. W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner 

